Cooking top



. Septv 30, 1941-v c. E. PARKER I 2,257,395

COOKING TOP mob Y 67a/ de A579071/ el 23m. SQ @Mofwy T To Q C E PARKERCOOKING To? Flled March 16, 1940 smV 30,1941.

Patented Sept. 30, 1941 COOKING TOP Claude E. Parker, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to Gas Products Corporation, Chicago, lll., a corporation o!Illinois i Application March 1s, 1940, serial No. seizes (ci. 12s- 39)9Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in cooking tops for gas ranges orcook stoves. The

present application discloses an apparatus constituting a species of thesame generic invention,

which is disclosed as embodied in a specifically diiierent apparatus inmy copending earlier iiled applicationserial No. 272,984 med May 11,1939, which in turn was copending with my still earlier iiledapplications Serial No. 84,880 illed June 12, i936 and Serial No.'120,591 illed January i4, 1937 and Serial No. 235,961 iiled October 20,i938. These latter three applications also disclosed the broad aspectsof the same invention here claimed, though illustrating it as embodiedin speciiically different forms of apparatus.

In cabinet type sas ranges it is desirable from the standpoint oiappearance and cleanliness, to

, provide a substantially imperi'orate top plate or panel apertured onlyfor the desired number of underlying burner heads. Maintenance of thistop panel at a suitably low temperature to proteet its porcelain orenamel ilnish and to prevent burning oi' a person touching it has,however, presented a serious problem.

Generally stated, one object of the present invention is to provide in acooking top having a top panel, a novel arrangement for preventingoverheating of such panel.

A more speciiic object is to provide in such a cooking top a novelarrangement for inducing cooling air to wash over the top oi the paneland in eilect insulate it from hot gases issuing laterally from beneatha utensil supported above the burner.

Another object is to provide in a cooking top of the type indicated anovel arrangement for supporting in the burner hole or holes of the toppanel suitable burner heads together with heat coniining and reflectingmembers coacting with the heads, the supporting arrangement being suchas to insure automatically accurate centering of the parts in the burnerholes and with respect to each other, the arrangement also being such,in accordance with a more speciilc object of the invention, as tominimize the direct conduction of heat from the parts noted to the toppanel.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent as the followingdescription proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsin which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially along theline l-l in Fig. 2, of a cooking top structure embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the cooking top structure.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional viewv taken substantially along the line3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the cook- 60 ing top with the heatconiining and reflecting member removed.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5in Fig. 3.

While the invention is susceptible of various modiiications andalternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will hereindescribe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understoodthat` I do not intend to limit the invention by such disclosure but aimto cover all modifications and alternative arrangements ialling withinthe spirit and (iscope oi the invention as expressed in the appendedclaims.

In the exemplary construction Ill indicates a horizontal sheet metal topplate or panel for a gas cook stove. Desirably, this top plate has aglossy decorative finish of, for example, porcelain or enamel. In oneaspect the present invention is concerned especially with a novelarrangement oi' parts for insuring maintenance of such a top plate at asuiiciently low temperature as to protect the iinish and to prevent aperson being burned by contact with the plate.

In the top plate I0 is a round burner aperture Il bordered by areenforcing flange I2 and centrally beneath which is located a gasburner head, designated generally by the numeral Il. The burner head maybe of any suitable form for projecting iiames upwardly beneath a utensiland has, in the present instance, been shown as being of the so-calledround type with upwardly and laterally directed fuel emission ports l5from which llames f issue beneath a utensil indicated generally at I6 inFig. 1.

Also in the burner hole il is located a closure structure, embodying inthe present instance a heat confining and reflecting member or hearthdenoted generally by the numeral Il, and which coacts with the head tosubstantially ll or close, from an appearance standpoint, the burnerhole Il. 'I'he particular hearth I'I illustrated may be made of metal,for example, cast iron. It is of shallow dish or bowl shape and thus atop surface having a generally continuous annular portion of substantiallateral width encircling the apertured central portion of the hearththrough which ilames from the burner head I4 issue to lap the utensilI8.

Four radially extending utensil supporting arms Il are disposed to seatthe utensil IB in closely spaced relation above the top of the hearthI1. In this way hot gases from the burner head Il are conned between theopposed and fairly closely spaced faces of the hearth and utensil bottomand are directed laterally, finally escaping at the periphery of theutensil (see arrows in Fig. 1 indicating escape path of hot gases). Theutensil I6 indicated is of large size such as an ordinary skillet andbevto the top plate.

ing of, say, ten or twelve inch diameter extends beyond the edge o1' theopening I i in the top panel so that the problem of preventingoverheating of the top panel by the escaping hot gases is particularlyaggravated.

To define an annular ilue for an updraft of cooling air, the peripheryof the hearth I1 is disposed in spaced relation to the encircling edgeof the top plate aperture II. Cooling air rises from the burner boxbeneath the hearth through the annular passage or flue I9 formed betweenthe hearth and the ilange I2, the width of the passage being such as topermit the flow of a substantial volume of air, such ilow being at leastin part induced by the entrainment effect of the hot gases issuing frombeneath the utensil in the case of a large utensil like that shown.

A feature of primary importance which diierentiates the presentstructure from, for example, that shown in my prior application SerialNo. 272,984 referred to above, is the disposition oi the peripheral rimI1n of the hearth I1 in spaced relation above the plane of the top panelII) (see Fig. l) By virtue of this arrangement it is possible toachievev a substantial stratification of the air above the top panel.The cooling air rising through the flue I9 washes over the surface ofthe top panel in a lower stratum and the 1aterally ilowing hot gasesescaping from beneath the utensil are in a higher stratum. In this way ablanket of cooling air is interposed between the escaping hot gases andthe adjacent surfacev of the top panel. In view lof the fact that air isa relatively poor thermal conductor there is but little transfer of heatfrom the hot gases through the blanket of cooling air Consequently, thetop plate is maintained at a suitably low temperature so that its finishis efectually protected and there is no danger of a persons being burnedupon touching it.

The hearth I1 serves, in effect, as a barrier or baille for splittinginto two generally'segregated streams the cool air rising from theburner box or space beneath the cooking top. At its outer edge thehearth coacts with the top panel to form the flue I8, as previouslynoted, for one of these streams of cooling air, the latter washing overthe top panel as described. At its inner edge the hearth I1 is disposedin spaced relation to, and encircles, the burner head I4, thus dening asecond annular flue 20 and through which rises a second stream orupdraft of secondary air for the llames issuing from the burner head.Not only does the hearth I1 thus segregate and direct these two streamsof air but it also thermally separates the cooling air stream throughthe flue I8 from the hot gases beneath the utensil.

To insure maintenance of the escaping hot gas well above the plane ofthe top panel it is requisite that the elevation of the utensil bottomand opposed barrier, in this case the hearth rim I1, be retained inpreselected fixed relation with respect to the top panel. Suchmaintenance of fixed relation of these parts is desirably accomplishedby mounting the hearth I1 and utensil seats I8 from the top panelitself. Furthermore it is desirable that the burner head I4 also besupported from the top panel and interlocked with the hearth so as toinsure accurate centering of the head and hearth with respect to eachother and to the burner hole II, with the end in view of maintaining theannular flue spaces I9 and 20 with precision. On the other hand theconnection of the hearth and burner head to the top panel must notresult in an undue heat transfer to the latter or the work of the airwash will be undone. To resolve the diiiiculty presented by theseantithetical requirements a novel supporting arrangement for the hearthand head has been provided, such as to use the rising cooling air tocool the connections and minimize the transfer of heat to the top panel.

In the instant construction (see Fig. 4) the burner head I4 has a threepoint support. At its forward end a Venturi supply tube 2|, which isrigid with the head, is removably connected to a control valve 22 in theusual manner, to form one point of support. The other two points ofsupport are formed by two laterally extending integral arms 23 on theburner head. Flattened feet on the outer ends of these arms rest on lugs24, which are integral with the top panel ilange I2 and-project into thehole II. The outer ends of integral longitudinal reenforcing ribs 23a,on the lower sides of the'arms 23, are received in notches 24a in thelugs 24, thus locating the head and restraining it against rotation orlateral displacement.

The hearth I1 is also supported on the lugs 24 as well as on anadditional pair of lugs 25 (see Fig. 4), the latter, like the lugs 24,being integral with the lower edge of the top plate flange I2. The lugs24, 25 are located at four equidistant spaced points about the burnerhole II. On the lowerside of the hearth I1 is a pair of integraldepending bosses 26 (Fig. 3) resting on the lugs 24 and a second pair 21resting on the lugs 25. 'I'he bosses 26 are bifurcated at their lowerends to straddle the underlying ends of the arms 23 (Fig. 5). The bosses21 are not so bifurcated but have projections 21a on them received incomplementa] locating notches 25e (see Figs. 3 and 4) in the lugs 25.

When the burner head I4 and member I1 are seated in the hole II on theproper lugs, as set forth, these parts I4, I1 are thus automaticallycentered in the hole so that their spacing relative to each other and tothe ange I2 to define the ues I9, 20 is accurately determined. Moreover,since the utensil seating members I8 are fixed to the member I1, theirheight above the top panel I0 is accurately dimensioned as is thebarrier edge I1a between the top panel surface and the utensil seats. Itshould be particularly observed that the lugs 24, 25 and bosses 26, 21are of comparatively small cross-sectional area, thereby minimizing theconduction of heat through them from the hearth I1 to the top panel.Also these connecting elements are located well below the zone of hotgases, which are confined above the hearth I1, and moreover. theconnecting lugs and bosses are washed by cooling air rising through theflue I9 so that the direct conduction of heat from the hearth to the toppanel is minimized.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a gas range cooking top. the combination with a generally flatsheet metal top plate having a burner opening in it, and a burner headlocated generally centrally beneath said opening, of a closure structurein said opening having a marginal portion spaced from the surroundingedge of the top plate opening and coacting with it to define a flue foran updraft of cooling air at the periphery of said opening, saidstructure also constituting a heat barrier preventing downwardreflection of heat from the burner and being characterized particularlyby the provision of an annular peripheral portion spaced above the uppersurface of said top plate so that hot gases escaping laterally frombetween a utensil overlying the unit and the top of said structure aredirected over the top plate at a corresponding distance above it with astratum of cooling air interposed between the top plate and such hotgases.

2. In a gas range cooking top, the combination of a horizontal top plateapertured for an underlying burner head, utensil seating means forsupporting a utensil above the burner aperture and with the utensilbottom above the top plate, a hearth structure having an annular portioncoacting with the edge of said aperture to dene a ue for an updraft ofcooling air at the margin of said aperture, said hearth structure alsoforming a barrier for directing hot gases issuing from beneath a utensilseated on said supporting means laterally above the top panel, and meansincluding supporting lugs carried by the top plate and projecting intothe aperture through said flue in` position to be cooled by the coolingair in the latter for supporting `said utensil seating means and saidhearth in predetermined spaced relation with respect to the top plate.

3. In a gas range cooking top, the combination of a sheet metaltop panelhaving an opening in it, lugs on said panel projecting into the opening,a burner head located generally centrally of the opening and having armsthereon with their ends` seated on said lugs, and an independentlyremovable closure structure in the opening also supported by said lugsand engaging with said arms so as to be held thereby in centeredrelation to the head.

tk4. In a gas range cooking top, the combination of a sheet metal toppanel having an opening in it bordered by a downturned reenforcingflange, said flange having lugs thereon projecting into the opening atspaced points, a. burner head located generally centrally of theopening. a heat confining structure presenting an upwardly facing heatreflecting surface and having a peripheral edge spaced from the edge ofthe opening and coacting with said flange to dene a iiue for an updraftof cooling air, said burner head having supporting arms thereon restingon said lugs, and said heat confining structure having projectionsbeneath it also resting on said lugs for removably supporting saidstructure, said lugs and projections being disposed in the path ofcooling air rising through said nue to minimizethe conduction of heat tothe top plate.

5. A gas cook stove comprising, in combination,

. a sheet metal top panel having an opening thereingwith a dependingflange defining the edge of said opening, a burner head positionedcentrally of said opening, a utensil supporting structure including anannular member having a plurality of utensil supports thereon, and meanson the lower edge of said angefor supporting said member in inwardlyspaced relation to the flange and with the upper edge of themembenprotruding above the plane of the top panel and forming acontinuous protecting barrier p rei venting impingement upon the paneloi' hot gases discharged outwardly beneath the bottom of a utensilresting on said utensil supports and overlying the edge o! said openingin the top panel, said utensil supports having seating surfaces disposedin a plane above said top panel.

6. A gas cook stove comprising, in combination, a sheet metal top panelhaving an opening therein with a vertical depending flange ofsubstantial depth at the edge of the opening and a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced lugs at the lower edge of said flange, a4burner head disposed centrally of said opening, and an annular `heatreflecting member mounted upon said depending flange of the top panelwith the burner head positioned centrally of said opening and saidannular member extending laterally outward from the burner head to theedge of the opening, the lugs on said top panel ange projectinghorizontally inward beneath said'annular member and said member havingdepending portions at the periphery thereof removably seated upon saidlugs.

7. A top structure for gaseous fuel cook stoves comprising, incombination, a top plate having an opening therein, a burner headpositioned below and centrally of said opening and having fuel dischargemeans in its upper portion, a heat confining and utensil supportingstructure, and means removably supporting said structure in said openingin the top plate comprising an annular member carried by the top plate,said structure including a heat barrier with one edge portion spacedhorizontally outward from said fuel discharge means of the burner headand another edge Portion spaced from said member to define an annularair passage opening at its lower side exteriorly of said barrier and atits upper side substantially in the plane of the top plate.

8.- A top structure for gaseous fuel cook stoves comprising, incombination, a top plate having an opening therein, a burner headpositioned below and centrally of said opening and having fuel dischargemeans in its upper portion, a heat confining and utensil supportingstructure, and means removably supporting said structure in said openingin the top plate, said structure including a heat barrier having anupwardly facing inner edge portion encircling the burner so as `tounderlie the flames issuing from said fuel discharge means, and an outeredge portion over which the hot gases discharge so as to be heatedthereby, said outer edge portion being spaced inwardly from the edge ofsaid opening in the top plate to define an annular air passage openingat its lower side exteriorly of said barrier.

9. A top structure for gaseous fuel cook stoves comprising, incombination, a sheet metal top plate having an opening therein, a burnerhead positioned below and centrally of said opening and having fueldischarge means in its upper portion, a heat confining and utensilsupporting structure, and means removably supporting said structure insaid opening in the top plate comprising an annular depending flangebordering said opening, said structure including a heat barrier with oneedge portion spaced horizontally outward from the fuel discharge meansof the burner-head and having another edge portion spaced from saidflange to define an annular air passage opening at its lower sideexteriorly of

